Notre Dame Cathedral

I knew that I was blessed when I had the opportunity to visit Notre Dame Cathedral with my family in 2017, but I did not realize how amazing of a gift I had received until I watched that historic building burn in 2019. My heart broke and my stomach twisted as I watched the famous spire fall. I was watching a news broadcast from thousands of miles away, but I could almost hear the crash and smell the ash blowing through the air as 850 years of history went up in flame.

Even now, I struggle to find the words that adequately capture the devastation of losing so much priceless history. Yes, Notre Dame will rebuild, and I am encouraged by the generous donations that have already been offered. A tragedy like this unites people and gives them a common purpose. However, any positives wrought from this situation cannot change the fact that medieval craftsmanship is gone forever.

When visiting medieval cathedrals, I feel more than the weight of history and wonder about more than the engineering marvels that enabled people with far less technology to build something so amazing. I think about the individuals who carved out each stone and imagine what their life was like. I feel the cloud of witnesses surround me. I can almost hear the prayers that have been whispered there through the centuries and am eager to add my own to the cacophony, knowing that God hears them all. That is what makes something like the Notre Dame fire so crushing. Some things simply can never be replaced.

My children always say I take too many pictures - at historic sites, during basketball games, and throughout everyday life. I'm always saving those memories to look back on. Our trip to Notre Dame tested my family's patience with me! But now I wish I had looked closer, spent more time, and, yes, taken more pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.